Pneumatic cleaner for nose boards



2 SHEETS-SHEET l W. Y- ROBB PNEUMATIC CLEANER FOR NOSE BOARDS FIG.I

Dec. 23, 1952 Filed March 16, 1951 INVENTOR WALTER Y. ROBB ATTORNEY IIw MIIIEIII ILL L I] IIILL Dec; 23, 1952 Filed March 16, 1951 W. Y. ROB B PNEUMATIC CLEANER FOR NOSE BOARDS 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR WALTER Y. ROBB ATTORNEY.

iatented Dec. 23, 1952 PNEUMATIC CLEANER FOR NOSE BOARDS Walter Y. Robb, Whitinsville, Mass., assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 16, 1951, Serial No. 215,939

15 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in the type of Axminster looms employing a toothed nose board and it is the general object of the invention to provide simple means for pneumatically cleaning lint from the slots between the teeth of the nose board.

A well-known type of Axminster loom employs a nose board from the rear of which extend tuft yarn engaging teeth separated by slots which receive the dents of the reed. The teeth ordinarily have hooks at their upper ends over which the tuft yarns are beaten by the reed during the tuft forming operation. It is not uncommon in such looms to employ a series of plates registering with the reed dents and movable rearwardly periodically through the slots between the teeth to a position close to the reed dents for the purpose of guiding the tuft yarns and keeping them aligned with the reed. In the operation of such a, loom fragments of the yarns used in the manufacture of the fabric break off and collect as lint in the slots and unless this lint is removed it will interfere with the proper functioning of both the reed dents and the plates. It is customary to make the nose boards in units generally 9" in length and aligned across the loom so that collectively they form the loom nose board. Each unit has a forward solid body from which the teeth project rearwardly.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide the nose board with an air passage therethrough communicating with the slots together with mechanism for introducing compressed air into the passage so that when the air escapes from the passage through the slots the latter will be cleaned of lint and other particles which may collect in the slots incident to the weaving operation.

When the nose board is made of a series of the aforesaid units the latter are ordinarily spaced from each other by a, distance equal to the width of a slot between adjacent teeth. When several nose boards are fastened to the breast beam of the loom it is desirable that their air passages be aligned in such manner as to reduce to a minimum wasteful escape of air between adjacent units. It is a further object of the invention to accomplish this result by a spacer having a hole therethrough which registers with adjacent air passages and is in communication with part of the space between the two units so that the space can be cleaned of lint.

In the operation of the loom the reed will be in rear position away from the nose board when the weft is being laid by the weft needle and will then move forwardly into the aforesaid slots to beat up the filling. Because of this operation of the reed there are times when the slots are occupied by the dents and other times when the 5 slots are empty, and it is a further object of the invention to provide control means regulated preferably by the loom to introduce compressed air into the air passages when the reed is in its rear position so that the dents cannot interfere with the slot cleaning operation.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of the invention is set forth,

Fig. l is a side elevation partly in section of go the forward part of an Axminster carpet loom having the invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view, parts being broken away, showing the nose board and the pneumatic connections for it,

Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged detail vertical sec- Fig. 7 is an enlarged longitudinal section on line l-l, Fig. 6, and

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic View showing part of the loom having the cleaning connections applied thereto and a control means for introducing air under pressure into the cleaning system at periodic intervals.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the loom frame I has a lay L including a shaft 2 extending across the loom and on which is mounted a reed 3 having dents 4. Mechanism not shown but well understood controls the motion of the reed so that during part of the cycle of the loom it will be in the rear position shown in Fig. 1 to permit entry of the weft laying needle 5 between,

the top and bottom warp sheds 6 and :7, respectively.

The loom frame includes in its construction a breast beam [0 to the upper part of which is secured a nose board designated generally at N.

body l5 held tightly to the breast beam by securing screws l6, and has projecting from the rear thereof a series of equally spaced tuft yarn engaging teeth I! which are separated by slots 58. Each tooth has a rear surface l9 leading upwardly and forwardly to a hook which ordinarily projects above the top surface 2! of the nose board. The slots may be formed as indicated more particularly in Fig. 3 and have their forward edges inclined downwardly and forwardly as at 22.

Spacer plates aligned with the reed dents are mounted on a carrier bar 26 mounted for movement around a center 21 of the lay structure L. These plates are controlled by a rod 28 which is operated in known manner to hold the plates normally forwardly as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, but moving them to the full line position of that figure so that the plates 25 can have their rear edges close to the forward edges of the reed dents during a tuft forming beat of the loom cycle. The plates are then moved forwardly with the reed and guide the tuft yarns Y depending from a tube frame T. Front and back tuft cutting knives 3t and 3|, respectively,

operate in usual manner to sever the formed tuft from the tube frame after the reed has beaten a row of tufts over the hooks 20.

The matter thus far described operates in usual manner and is of well-known construction and except as noted hereinafter forms no part of the present invention.

In carrying the present invention into eifect each of the nose board units has passing therethrough an air passage extending for the most part through the solid body 15 but communicating through openings 4| with the slots It. The passage 46 may be drilled in the nose board and extends transversely of the latter below the surface ill and for the most part forward of the edge 22 of the slots. By means of the openings 4i the air passage is in pneumatic communication with each slot 18 so that air under pressure introduced into an air passage will issue through the openings M to clear lint, designated at 42, Fig. 3, from the slots.

By referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that adjacent units are separated by a space 43 which is of substantially the same width as a slot l8. One of the units will have attached thereto a spacer 44. having an air passage or hole 45 therethrough and having a flange 55 of substantially the same width as a slot it. The tooth l1 adjacent to the separator will be formed with a bore 31 into which the cylindrical shell 48 of the spacer is driven. The lower part of the flange is cut off as at 4% to provide a lateral opening Eil communicating with the space 43.

Adjacent units are held together on the breast beam and their air passages ii) will be aligned and in communication through the holes or openings 55 of the spacers. The aligned passages 48 and holes 5 collectively provide an air passage A extending through the nose board from end to end. Air issuing through the openings 50 will clear lint from the spaces 43.

As shown in Fig. 2 the upper nose unit l3 has a fitting which is similar to a spacer but instead of being adjacent to another nose board it receives a feed pipe 56 connected to a main feed pipe 5? extending under the breast beam and held in a pocket or groove 58 on the under side of the breast beam by a clip 59 held in position by a screw (58. The main feed pipe 51 extends under the full length of the nose board N and in addition to the pipe 56 may also have a second pipe 6| similar to pipe 56 connected with the air passage of nose board unit II. By means of the pipes 56 and BI the main feed pipe is connected to the ends of the air passage A extendin through the entire nose board. The ends of the nose board N are indicated at 62 and 63 and the distance between them ordinarily determines the width of the fabric being woven.

In order that air may be introduced into the air passage A at a plurality of points intermediate the nose board ends 62 and E3 auxiliary feed lines are supplied as indicated for instance in Figs. 3 and 4. Each auxiliary feed line includes a pipe 65 the upper end of which fits into a bore 66 cut in the body of the nose board and communicating with the air passage. The pipe extends downwardly and forwardly and is attached by a fitting 67 to the main feed line 51.

In order to supply the main feed pipe with compressed air the loom has a source of compressed air designated at 70 in Fig. 8. This source supplies air under sufficient pressure to effect the required cleaning of lint from the slots. This source is connected to a valve H and a pipe 12 leading from the valve is connected to the main feed pipe 51 through pipes 73 and 74, see Fig. 2 so that air can be introduced into both ends of the feed pipe.

A cam '15 secured to a shaft 'EG rotates during loom operation and periodically opens the valve ll so that air from the source 70 may be fed to the main feed line 57 and from the latter and through the auxiliary feed lines to the air passage A extending through the nose board.

As already stated the lay L reciprocates and when in the rearward position shown in Fig. 1 the reed dents are out of the slots i8 and the latter can therefore be cleaned of lint. The valve '6'! is preferably timed to open when the lay is in a rearward position and also preferably when the spacer plates 25 are in the full line position shown in Fig. 3, that is, on a tuft forming beat of the loom. It is to be understood however that any other convenient timing for operating of the valve ll may be employed, and in fact valve "H can be operated manually from time to time without requiring the cam 15.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention sets forth a nose board having teeth separated by slots i3 which communicate with an air passage A extending through the nose board, and that the air passage is connected to a source it of compressed air. The valve H constitutes means intermediate the source and nose board for controlling the times of introduction of air into the air passage A, this time preferably occurring at some point in the loom cycle when the reed is in rear position and the space plates 25 are as shown for instance in full lines in Fig. 3 so that the greater parts of the slots [8 will be open to permit the blowing of lint out of them. Also, the adjacent nose board units are connected by spacers which have air passages through them establishing pneumatic communication between the aligned air passages of adjacent nose board units, and these spacers have lateral openings 50 through which air escapes to clear lint from the spacers 43. The pneumatic system as applied to the nose board is stationary and requires no operating parts other than the cam 75 to operate the valve H. The auxiliary or intermediate feed pipes or conduits 65 serve the purpose of introducing air into the air passage A at. a plurality of points along its length, and these auxiliary feed lines fit into bores 66 cut in the body of the nose board and communicating with the air passage.

Having thus described the invention it will be seen that changes and modifications of the foregoing specific disclosure may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In an Axminster loom, a nose board having a body formed with a plurality of tuft yarn engaging teeth separated by slots, said body having an air passage therethrough communicating with said slots, and means to introduce into said passage a blast of air which escapes through said slots to clean the latter of accumulated lint.

2. In an Axminster loom operating with a reed having dents, a nose board having a body from which project tuft yarn engaging teeth separated by reed dent receiving slots in which lint accumulates, said body having an air passage there through communicating with said slots, and means to introduce into said passage compressed air which escapes through said slots to clean them of said lint.

3. The structure set forth in claim 2 wherein said body is solid and said passage is forward of and opens rearwardly into said slots,

4. In an Axminster loom operating with a reed havin dents, a nose board having a body from Which project tuft yarn engaging teeth separated by reed dent receiving slots in which lint accumulates, a source of compressed air connected to said nose board and communicating with said slots, and means intermediate the nose board and source to control introduction of compressed air from said source into said slots to clear the latter of said lint.

5. The structure set forth in claim 4 wherein a controller acting periodically operates said means.

6. In an Axminster loom operating with a reed having dents, an elongated nose board having a body between the ends of which are tuft yarn engaging teeth integral with the body separated by slots in which lint accumulates, said body having an air passage extending therethrough from end to end communicatin with said slots, means to introduce compressed air into said passage at one end thereof, and additional means to introduce compressed air into said passage at a point intermediate the ends of the body.

7 In an Axminster loom operating with a reed having dents, an elongated nose board having a body between the ends of which are tuft yarn engaging teeth integral with the body separated by slots in which lint accumulates, said body having an air passage extending therethrough from end to end communicating with said slots, and means to introduce compressed air into said passage at a plurality of points between the ends of said body.

8. In an Axminster loom operating with a reed having dents, an elongated nose board having a body between the ends of which are tuft yarn engaging teeth integral with the body separated by slots in which lint accumulates, said body having an air passage extending therethrough: from end to end communicating with said slots, a main feed line to supply compressed air, and a plurality of auxiliary feed lines connecting the main feed line to'said passage at points between the ends of said nose board.

9. The structure set forth in claim 8 wherein said main feed line is under and extends lengthwise of the nose board.

. 10. In an Axminster loom operating with reed dents, two adjacent nose board units each having .a body provided with tuft yarn engaging teeth separated by reed dent receiving slots of given width, adjacent teeth of the units being separated by a space of said given width, the bodies of said units having aligned air passages therethrough communicating with said slots, mean to introduce compressed air into said passages, and a hollow spacer for said units located in said space pneumatically connecting said air passages.

' 11. The structure set forth in claim 10 wherein the interior of said spacer is in pneumatic communication with said space between the units.

12. The structure set forth in claim 10 wherein said spacer has a lateral opening therein pneumatically connecting said space with said air passages.

13. In an Axminster loom having reciprocating reed dents, a nose board having a body from which project teeth separated by slots into which and out of which said dents move, said nose board having an air passage therethrough communicating with said slots, and means to introduce compressed air into said passage when the reed dents are out of said slots. 1

14. An Axminster loom nose board having a body provided with teeth separated by slots and having also an air passage extending through said body communicating with said slots 15. In an Axminster loom, a nose board having a body formed with a plurality of tuft yarn engaging teeth separated by slots, said body having an air passage therethrough communicating with said slots, and having also a bore leading from said passage forwardly from said slots, and means including an air conduit extending into said bore tointroduce through said conduit into said passage compressed air which escapes through said slots to clear the latter of accumulated lint.

'WAL'IER Y. ROBE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

